The present invention relates to a tool for inserting O-rings into a recess provided in a bore formed in the body of a part and having an open end accessible to the tool. More specifically, the tool is of a type including a housing having an O-ring carrier or holder mounted thereto at one end thereof and adapted for movement into the bore end together with an O-ring guide which prevents the O-ring from being pushed past the recess by a stripper which is mounted for movement relative to the carrier.
Such O-ring insertion tools serve to simplify the insertion of O-rings into an associated recess or ring groove. The rings may be sealing rings, felt wiper rings or spacing rings, etc. The tool is especially useful in installing small diameter O-rings, i.e., smaller than 15 mm., since it is almost impossible to install O-rings of this size by just using one's fingers.
West German published Patent Application No. 2,551,363 dated Mar. 26, 1977 discloses a known tool, on which the present invention is based. In order to load this known tool, an O-ring is pushed with the fingers over a guide and inserted at an angle into an O-ring carrier formed by a ring having a conical interior surface. This tool must be held in a position in which either an O-ring stripper moves on its own away from the carrier so as to permit an O-ring to be loaded into the carrier, or the stripper must be particularly held with the hand. In the case of very small and soft O-rings, such loading is very difficult and if the loading is faulty, it is to be expected that the function of the insertion tool will be impaired or the O-ring will be destroyed.